1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fishing and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a fish catching system including a fishing lure shaped as a decapod.
2. Description of the Related Art Many game fish sought by anglers are predators pursuing live food animals. Game fish typically maintain a set diet consisting of one or several main live food animals. Illustratively, certain game fish feed primarily on decapods, such as a shrimp, crawfish, lobster, and the like. Game fish in pursuing decapods instinctively and through experience understand the characteristics of such live food animals. Consequently, during hunting, game fish search for decapod signs according to their known characteristics and, upon finding a decapod, attack and devour the decapod.
Anglers often use live bait because game fish prefer their decapod food animals alive. Although live bait can be successful, there is the disadvantage in that the bait dies quickly rendering it ineffective in attracting game fish. A dead decapod attached to a fishing line does not exhibit the characteristics normally associated with such animals, resulting in game fish ignoring the bait and a poor day of fishing.
In an attempt to replace live bait, artificial fishing lures in the form of decapods have been developed. Unfortunately, such lures have experienced limited success because they do not present game fish with a realistic looking and acting food animal. The lures are typically not properly colored like a live decapod and, further, do not exhibit the characteristics normally associated with such animals. When the lure is pulled through the water, it appears no different than a dead decapod, thereby failing to attract game fish.
Accordingly, a fish catching system including a lure shaped and colored as a decapod that may be manipulated to exhibit the characteristics normally associated with live decapods improves over both live bait and existing artificial lures.
In accordance with the present invention, a fish catching system includes a hook, a lure manipulator, and a decapod-shaped lure. The hook includes a barb and a shaft terminating in an eyelet that receives a fishing line. The lure manipulator includes a lure retainer, a head coupled with the lure retainer, a lure retaining post coupled with the head, and a passageway therethrough that receives the shaft of the hook therein The decapod-shaped lure includes a body and a tail. The body includes claws, antennae, eyes, and the tail includes a tail fan.
In use, the tail of the decapod-shaped lure attaches to the lure retainer and the lure-retaining post of the lure manipulator, and the body of the decapod-shaped lure attaches to the hook, thereby placing the decapod-shaped lure in a first position. Pulling the fishing line moves the shaft of the hook through the passageway to pivot the tail underneath the body, thereby placing the lure in a second position. Releasing the fishing line returns the shaft of the hook through the passageway, thereby placing the lure in the first position.
A method of attracting game fish includes providing the foregoing fish catching system. The hook is attached to the fishing line via the eyelet, the tail of the decapod-shaped lure is attached to the lure retainer of the lure manipulator, and the body of the decapod-shaped lure is attached to the hook. The decapod-shaped lure is cast into a body of water and allowed to sink below the water. The fishing line is pulled to move the shaft of the hook through the passageway and pivot the tail underneath the body and then released to return the shaft of the hook through the passageway and the tail from underneath the body. The fishing line is alternately pulled and released to attract game fish.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fish catching system that permits movement of a lure independent of reeling a fishing line.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a fish catching system that simulates live game fish prey.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fish catching system suitable for moving a lure stationary in a body of water.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a decapod-shaped lure.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a lure that may be worked so as to appear the same as a live decapod traveling through the water.
It is even a further object of the present invention to provide a lure that attracts game fish because it presents game fish with prey that both looks and acts identical to their staple food of decapods.
Still other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become evident to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the following.